The following original English text comes from Kensington and Chelsea Review magazine
(Chinese translated by Bluerider ART)
Out of the Blue
意外之間
A conversation with Elsa Wang, Founder of Bluerider ART
與 Bluerider ART 創辦人 王薇薇 Elsa Wang 的對話
Elsa Wang hung up her tech entrepreneur boots over ten years ago, but her ethos as Founder of Bluerider ART remains true to some or the principles of that industry – bringing with it a fresh approach to discovering, promoting and exhibiting artists around the world.
Elsa Wang是Bluerider ART的創辦人，她在十多年前高掛她的科技企業家戰袍，成為Bluerider ART的創辦人，然而她的理念依然基於科技行業的某些原則——帶著清新的態度，去發掘、推廣、展示全世界各地的藝術家。
Her first foray into the gallery world was with the founding of her first space in Taipei, swiftly followed by a second in the same city. A gallery in the prestigious Shanghai neighborhood of The Bund was next, and most recently she launched her first European gallery, in the heart of London’s gallery hotspot, Mayfair.
她第一次涉足畫廊世界是在台北創立了她的第一個空間，然後在同一座城市迅速開設了第二個畫廊。 接下來是上海精華地區，外灘進駐畫廊，近期則在歐洲心臟倫敦的藝術熱點中心梅費爾區，開設了她的第一家歐洲畫廊。
Elsa’s passion for the arts is her guiding philosophy, and the artists she exhibits is a reflection of this. Bluerider is a progressive gallery with a distinct focus on the convergence of technology and art, and the roster is mainly made up of artists who have risen up in their careers through unconventional means, rather than through the traditional art college ringer. Her creative passions are broad – from dance and photography to sculpture and video art – giving her an openness to a much more diverse set of artists than many Mayfair galleries can accommodate.
Elsa對藝術的熱情是她的指導哲學，她展出的藝家也反映了這一點。 Bluerider ART是一家滿載進取精神的畫廊，專注於科技與藝術的融合，其主要藝術家包括由透過非傳統途徑嶄露頭角的藝術家，而不是傳統的藝術學院。 她的創意熱情很廣泛——從舞蹈和攝影到雕塑和錄像藝術，這使她對比許多梅費爾區畫廊，能夠持開放態度，容納更多不同類型的藝術家。
“I was born a dancer, without any professional training – I was always chosen to dance in the school events, later I joined a dance company and hoped to be a choreographer. The creative parts of the arts have aways been a passion of mine, and this has always been very broad, including photography and dance as well as many different forms of contemporary art,”she says. “When I first stepped into the world of art, having listed the tech company I co-founded, I focused on my own photography, with a solo exhibition and publication of my photography book “Dance Formosa.”However, I was drawn more and more towards the work of other artists and realised I could marry my passion with my business acumen to identity and promote their work to new audiences.”
「我生下就是舞者，沒有接受過專業訓練——總是被選中參加學校舞蹈活動，後來我加入一個職業舞團，希望成為編舞家。藝術的創造性部分一直是我的熱情所在，並且非常廣泛，包括攝影、舞蹈，以及許多不同形式的當代藝術」 她說。 「 當我將共同創辦的科技公司上市之後，剛踏入藝術界，我專注於攝影創作，並舉辦了一次個人攝影展，出版了我的個人攝影書《跳舞吧！福爾摩沙》。在那之後我越來越被其他藝術家的作品所吸引，並意識到可以將我的熱情與商業頭腦相結合，找到理想中的藝術家並向新的受眾推廣。
Elsa’s tech background has undeniably had a profound influence on the artists she is drawn to:
Elsa的科技背景無疑對她所選擇的藝術家產生了深遠影響：
“I think people from all backgrounds can come to art with different perspectives. I also firmly believe that both art and science stem from creativity – they share a common pursuit of universal truths. The majority of artists we work with at Bluerider have come to where they are in their art careers through unconventional routes – rather than, for example, graduating from a traditional art college. I feel that this often means their influences are diverse, and their methods quite innovative. Linking back to tech and science, I also find it appealing when artists work to push the limits of their mediums or techniques to say something bold.
「我認為來自各個背景的人都可以以不同的視角接觸藝術。我也堅信藝術和科學都源於創造力- 它們共同追求普遍真理。」Bluerider ART的藝術家有些是透過非傳統的途徑，成就藝術生涯——比方，不是從傳統藝術學院畢業的。 我覺得這往往代表他們的影響力很廣泛，創作的方法非常創新。 回到科技和科學，當藝術家努力突破他們的媒材或技術的極限，以表達一些大膽的東西時，很吸引我。
“Marck – whose work we are showing in the London gallery this spring – is a great example of an artist whose use of technology and mechanical engineering really excites me. His video sculptures are appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds, and I love seeing how people engage with them.”
「今年春季在倫敦畫廊展出的藝術家Marck，是一個很好的例子，他的技術和機械工程應用，很令我興奮。他的錄影雕塑吸引了各個年齡層和背景的目光，我喜歡觀看人 如何與他的作品互動。」
Elsa first approach Marck, a multidisciplinary Swiss artist, nine years ago, and immediately wanted to work with him. She explained: “He sent us a long list of questions, wondering how and why we might want to represent him. It was like a test going back and forth for a few months, and we passed!” Bluerider ART has since then shown Marck’s work in a number or exhibitions and now brings him to their London space for his first solo show in over ten years. MARCK’s Playground, which runs until 26 May, presents a series of the artist’s strikingly inventive, experimental and mesmerising video works, framed in the context of his signature handcrafted sculptures.
九年前Elsa首次接觸Marck這位多方位瑞士藝術家，她立刻想與他合作。 她回憶說：「他給我們發了一長串幾頁的問卷，他想知道我們為什麼以及如何代表他。這就像是一個來回幾個月的考試，最終我們通過了！」從那時起，Bluerider ART一直展示Marck的作品，並將他帶到了倫敦空間，進行了十多年來的首次個展。 「MARCK’s Playground」 將持續到2024年5月26日，展示了藝術家的一系列富有創造力、實驗性和令人著迷的錄像，以及他標誌性的手工雕塑。
For MARCK’s Playground, artistic innovation and sensory delight converge as the artist unveils works which serve as a journey through which to experience a variety of psychological scenarios. Marck’s large-scale classic work Gegenstrom depicts a woman swimming in slow motion, expressing a desire for survival and exploration; Clockwork combines video and kinetic installation, provoking feelings of anxiety in its showcase of avoidance dynamics between a woman and a pendulum; while Phone Connected presents an innovative manifestation of global social network connections and contemporary social modes.
對於「MARCK’s Playground」來說，藝術創新和感官愉悅相結合，藝術家展示了一系列作品，這些作品作為一種旅程，透過體驗各種心理情景。 Marck的大型經典作品Gegenstrom描繪了一個女人緩慢游泳的場景，表達了對生存和探索的渴望；Clockwork結合了視頻和動態裝置，透過展示一個女人與鐘擺之間的逃避動態，引發了焦慮感；而 Phone Connected則呈現了全球社交網路連結和當代社交方式的創新體現。
Marck’s unique approach to the combined disciplines of video and sculpture is in many ways informed by his unconventional artistic journey. While he initially enrolled in a prestigious, traditional art school, he soon left to engage, instead, in a series of diverse occupations, from auto dismantling and mechanical electrics to rock music and tech installation design. He also acknowledges deep influences from Fluxus member Nam June Paik. as well as Wolf Vostell. considered one of the pioneers or video art. For Marck, technology is both a means and a purpose, meant not to narrate a story but to evoke an emotion through a distinction between the virtual and the real.
Marck對錄像和雕塑的結合方法在許多方面都受到他非傳統的創作之旅的影響。 雖然他最初進入一所享有聲望的傳統藝術學校就讀，但很快就離開了，轉而從事一系列多樣的職業，從汽車拆解和機械電學，到搖滾樂手和技術安裝設計。 他表示受到Fluxus激浪派成員Nam June Paik的深刻影響。 以及被認為是錄像藝術先驅之一的Wolf Vostell。 對Marck來說，科技既是一種手段又是一種目的，不是用來敘述故事，而是透過虛擬與現實之間的差異來喚起情感。
So why did Elsa choose London for her first Western venture? She explained: “London’s creative scene is so exciting and I had been enjoying visiting its galleries and theatres long before I set up Bluerider. This is our first gallery in Europe, so where else but London could it be! London itself is culturally diverse and, especially when it comes the younger generation, art lovers are becoming more and more open to different types of art, so I felt visitors here would be receptive to the types of interactive and innovative artists we are showing.”
那麼，Elsa為什麼選擇倫敦作為她的西方新創之地呢？ 她解釋說：「倫敦的創意氛圍非常令人興奮，早在我建立Bluerider ART之前我就一直喜歡參觀畫廊和劇院。這是我們在歐洲的第一個畫廊，所以除了倫敦，還能在哪裡呢 ！ 藝術家持有開放態度。」
But for Elsa, it seems, creativity and inspiration in life, as in the work of many of her artists, is interdisciplinary. And London’s energy is clearly something she draws on from many different sources.
但對Elsa來說，創造力和靈感在生活中，就像她的許多藝術家的作品一樣，是跨學科的。 而倫敦的活力顯然是她從許多不同的來源吸取靈感的地方。
“My favourite part in London is its many beautiful parks. I like walking in the park, or just doing nothing – to be neat trees, flowers and nature. I love Hyde Park or Green Park, both near the gallery, but also less known parks…I think parks provide a temporary pause, like emptiness in a painting. In the city it creates more calmness and imagination.”
「我在倫敦最喜歡的部分，是它許多美麗的公園。我喜歡在公園裡散步，或什麼都不做——靠近樹木、花朵和大自然。我喜歡海德公園、格林公園，它們都很靠近 畫廊，也有一些不那麼知名的公園……我覺得公園提供了這個大城市一刻暫時的停頓，就像一幅畫中的留白，為城市帶來了更多的寧靜與想像。
Bluerider ART can be found at 47 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4JW.
Bluerider ART 位於 47 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4JW.
MARCK’s Playground runs until 26 May 2024.
“MARCK’s Playground” 將持續至2024年 5 月 26 日
For more information visit www.blueriderart.com
更多消息請至 www.blueriderart.com